Jimmysstar stamped himself as the premier sprinter-miler in Australia with a decisive victory in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
With the Orr shifting from its usual February slot to the end of spring, this marked the second running of the race in 2025 — and trainer Ciaron Maher has now won both editions.
Having taken out the earlier renewal with Another Wil, Maher watched on as his stable star Jimmysstar capped off a brilliant campaign with a polished performance in the final Group 1 of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The $1.75 favourite began cleanly for Ethan Brown but was allowed to drift midfield, still maintaining a crucial tactical edge over key rival Angel Capital ($3.50), who went back to last.
Chris Waller’s colt closed strongly late but never looked likely to overhaul Jimmysstar, finishing a length away in second, with Evaporate ($5.50) a further length behind in third.
Maher said confidence never wavered following the gelding’s heavy-track victory in the Group 3 Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) in Sydney, noting that the Orr placed him even closer to his ideal distance.
“He’s a ripper,” Maher said.
“I was so confident over the last couple of weeks with him.
“I know he’d had a few runs in big races but we only keep him fresh enough to run at six (furlongs) and he was better at 6½ and I knew he’d be better today.
“Browny just rides him so well. He was in the driver’s seat most of the way. He’s got a great rapport with him and he’s a great fella.
“I can’t thank my team enough. He’s been to Sydney for a long time and he’s come down to Melbourne seamlessly.
“You can just see the confidence in the horse. He could have led the race and looked like it early.
“Ethan, over the past two years, you can see how much confidence (he had) and they are similar in how they’ve grown in confidence together.”
The triumph brought up Maher’s 60th Group 1 win — half of which were achieved during his partnership with David Eustace — while Ethan Brown celebrated his 10th career Group 1 and his second aboard Jimmysstar.
“By far (my favourite), he’s such a beauty,” Brown said.
“It is well publicised, my love for him and it is obvious why. He is the ultimate professional.
“He gives me such an amazing feeling and he’s such a good horse.”
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